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Coop's Shot Tower and Flanking Building are of historical and architectural significance to the State of Victoria.Coop's Shot Tower and Flanking Building are of historical significance as evidence of an early industrial process, and for their association with the Coop family, who had extensive interests in shot manufacture and smelting – they owned both of the two remaining towers in Melbourne, the other being in Clifton Hill. The tower provides tangible evidence of the original process of lead shot production, a process now largely forgotten. Its form reflects the shot production process: the shot was produced by dropping molten lead through sieves at the top of the tower into water at the bottom. The height of the Tower was necessary to allow the shot to form into spheres before reaching the bottom. At the height of its productive life, the Tower was producing six tons of shot per week. Also manufactured in the associated buildings were a diverse range of lead products, including nails, washers, sheeting, tubes, pipes and solder for leadlighters and plumbers.Coop's Shot Tower and Flanking Building are of historical significance as a reminder of the character of the 19th century city, in which residential, commercial and industrial uses existed in close proximity. There are now few remaining traces of central Melbourne's industrial past, giving the shot tower added importance.Coop's Shot Tower and Flanking Building are of architectural significance as a fine example of a rare and distinctive building type and as a Melbourne landmark for more than a century. The Tower was one of the tallest buildings in Melbourne for many years, second only to the shot tower in Clifton Hill, and remained a significant Melbourne landmark long after its closure. The building is carefully massed with its campanile-style central tower above the two storey factory with fine arched openings.

About Coops Shot Tower

Coop's Shot Tower and Flanking Building are of historical and architectural significance to the State of Victoria.Coop's Shot Tower and Flanking Building are of historical significance as evidence of an early industrial process, and for their association with the Coop family, who had extensive interests in shot manufacture and smelting – they owned both of the two remaining towers in Melbourne, the other being in Clifton Hill. The tower provides tangible evidence of the original process of lead shot production, a process now largely forgotten. Its form reflects the shot production process: the shot was produced by dropping molten lead through sieves at the top of the tower into water at the bottom. The height of the Tower was necessary to allow the shot to form into spheres before reaching the bottom. At the height of its productive life, the Tower was producing six tons of shot per week. Also manufactured in the associated buildings were a diverse range of lead products, including nails, washers, sheeting, tubes, pipes and solder for leadlighters and plumbers.Coop's Shot Tower and Flanking Building are of historical significance as a reminder of the character of the 19th century city, in which residential, commercial and industrial uses existed in close proximity. There are now few remaining traces of central Melbourne's industrial past, giving the shot tower added importance.Coop's Shot Tower and Flanking Building are of architectural significance as a fine example of a rare and distinctive building type and as a Melbourne landmark for more than a century. The Tower was one of the tallest buildings in Melbourne for many years, second only to the shot tower in Clifton Hill, and remained a significant Melbourne landmark long after its closure. The building is carefully massed with its campanile-style central tower above the two storey factory with fine arched openings.

The entrance is through R M Williams shop in the base of the tower up the first escalator.
Tells the story of the development of Melbourne from the beginning and how the CBD developed. Knocked a lot of buildings down but thankfully not this one!...More

Ask Ian M about Coops Shot Tower

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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

I don’t think this attraction needs a lot of talk or attention here suffice to say if you are in Melbourne. This is a must do. The clock nearby chimes with a fantastic Australian theme on the hour uniquely Australian. Do not delay your visit.

Ask Brian E about Coops Shot Tower

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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

The shot tower was used to make lead shot for shotguns. The shot tower is made of special bricks. It was saved from demolition and was incorporated into the Melbourne Central development. The base of the tower incorporates an outlet of R M Williams, the...More

Ask Jeffry B about Coops Shot Tower

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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

A heritage building was in the way of a major new shopping complex so they just incorporated it into the footprint of the facility. It is the cleanest building in the world because it is under glass. The history of shot towers is amazing -...More

Ask ggads about Coops Shot Tower

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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

I do love seeing historic buildings and any building with character preserved for the enjoyment of generations to come. They add uniqueness and such character to their cities and offer an insight into the time in which they were created. I wouldn't necessarily go out...More

Ask AdelaideTraveller888 about Coops Shot Tower

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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

This was originally a high red-brick tower for manufacturing shot. In the 1990's when this large area was redeveloped and Melbourne Central Shopping Centre was built the tall tower was completely covered by a glass dome. It is just near the escalators down to the...More

Ask Betula103 about Coops Shot Tower

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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

Keeping history alive is what Melbourne seems to do best. To do this they spent amazing amount of money encasing an old gun pellet manufacturing plant within a glass cone and made it part of a very modern shopping mall. It is also a museum....More

Ask Mike5466 about Coops Shot Tower

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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

This five story lead shot tower was built in 1888 and has been retained inside the Melbourne Central Shopping Center which is great that such a historical building has been retained albeit now surrounded by coffee and sandwich shops.

Ask Oldjack about Coops Shot Tower

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This is a marvelous example of the preservation of local history in a modern development. It is located in the Melbourne Central shopping centre and access to the shot tower museum is available through the R M Williams store. There is not a lot to...More

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Ask Chris F about Coops Shot Tower

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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

Fantastic sight that is a little ruined by bustling crowds of shoppers and commuters. Easy to get to via public transport. It's quite daunting just looking up the dome to see how high the shot tower is. Head up escalators to get better views.

Ask JohnG3121 about Coops Shot Tower

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